Adjustable chair



1949 Y K. K. KISSELL 2,48 30 ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Filed March 9, 1945INVENTOR. K. ,e. 'K/SSELL BY 4w MM Patented Nov. 15, ,1949

' Kenneth K;

Kissell, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Eula Elizabeth Esping ApplicationMarch 9, 1945, Serial No. 581,748

This invention relates to improvements in that class of chairsespecially intended'for invalids or convalescents use, and among theobjects of my invention are to provide a chair of this class that isextremely comfortable in that the weight of the user is supportedentirely by a flexible web so that his body is out of contact with anyhard object; to provide a chair of the aforesaid class that can readilybe adjusted between an upright sitting position and a fully recliningposition simply by the occupant changing his posture; to provide a chairof the nature just mentioned that is well balanced in all positions andtends to retain its various positions of adjustment by reason of themanner in which the weight of the occupant is distributed; to provide ina chair of this character means in convenient reach of the occupant andreadily manipulated by him for releasably retaining the adjustablestructure in any position to which it is adjusted, and to provide achair of the invalid class including the usual wheels and trailingcasters and from which said wheels and casters may be readily removed soas to convert the chair into one of the standing type for more generaluse as on a porch or lawn.

Other objects and advantages will appear as I proceed to describe theinvention in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing, and

among which are the more general ones of simplicity of design andconstruction, economy, strength and durability.

In-the drawing, wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, Fig. 1 represents afront elevation, and Fig. 2 aside elevation of a chair constructed inaccordance with my invention; Fig.

'3 is a vertical section from front to rear through the chair, showingit adjusted to an almost fully reclining position; Fig. 4 is an enlargedsectional detail through the edge portion of the seat, as indicated bythe line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of one of thetrailing casters, and Fig. 6 a sectional detail showing a supportingstay for the rear portion of the seat.

The chair comprises, generally, a rigid supporting frame, and anadjustable structure made up of back, seat and front sections, and whichstructure is pivotally connected to and sustained by the supportingframe. The supporting frame, according to the present embodiment of theinvention, is built up of two X-shaped parts I, desirably fabricated ofmetal tubing, that are connected together adjacent their lower ends by ahorizontal member 2 which extends across the back and forwardly alongeach side and is con- 1 Claim. (Cl. 155106) '22, respectively. The

nected to the lower portions of said X-sha parts I, said parts alsobeing rigidly connected together adjacent their lower front corners by across bar 3. The supporting frame is desirably fitted with casters 4 ofthe size ordinarily employed on pieces of furniture, and said frame isfurther braced by a cross member 5 that extends between the downwardlyand rearwardly inclined members of the X-shaped parts. The supportingframe is completed by substantially horizontal, parallel side members6,'shown as including armrests l. v v

Unless the structure is to be used as a standing chair, in which case itwould rest onthe casters 4, it is provided with relatively large wheels8 and trailin casters 9. The trailing casters are of conventionalconstruction and are removably connected to the rear portion of themember 2 in any suitable manner obvious to the average mechanic. Theaxis IS, on which the wheels 8 are mounted, is removably supported bybrackets I6 by being withdrawable therefrom, said brackets beingconnected to the forwardly and downwardly inclined members of the partsI-'.

The back, seat, and front sections of the above mentioned adjustablestructure are designated, generally, by the reference numerals 20, 2|and back section 20 is made up of side rails 23, that are connectedtogether at their upper ends by a cross bar 24, and at their lower endsby across bar 25. Intermediate their ends, the side rails 23 havehangers 25 secured to them, and said hangers are connected by pivotmembers 21, to the rear end portions of the side members 6 of thesupporting frame. Pivotally connected to the front ends of said sidemembers are the side rails 2i!v of the front section 22; and near theirlower ends said rails 28 are rigidly connected by a cross bar 29.Pivoted at 30 to brackets 3| that are secured to and extend rearwardlyfrom the side rails '28 of the front section are the forward ends ofside rails 32 of the seat section 2|. The side rails 32 extendrearwardly beyond, and inside those of the back section and arepivotally connected to the side rails of the back section by bolts 33,said bolts, according to the present embodiment, also assisting inholding clamping strips 34 to the inner sides of the rails 32. Thelateral edges of a cross web 35 of suitable flexible material, such as arelatively heavy and strong grade of carpet, are fir ly clamped betweenthe strips 34 and the rails 32, a suitable number of bolts 36,additional to the bolts 33, being employed for firmly securing the partstogether. Adjacent the front of the seat when seatedin the chair. :seatsection aconsiderable distance rearwardly f the backsection, the body iswell supported section, the sides thereof may be held apart by adropyoke 31. It will be noted from Figs. 2 and 3 that the seat sectionprojects a material distance rearwardly of the back section, and thatthe cross Web 35 extends from the rear end of said section entirely tothe front thereof. To prevent the side rails of the seat section, alonwith the clamping strips 34, from keeling over under weight imposed uponthe cross web 35 when the chair is, in use, "the inner ends-of the bolts33 have connected to them, and are sustained by,

stays 38 that have a purchase at their lower endson the cross bar 25 ofthe back section 20. The

connection between the inner ends of the bolts 33 and the stays 38 maybe conveniently made by threading the bolts into tapped holes inthestaysin a manner obvious to one skilled in the art.

A longitudinal web 40 of flexible material, such as a heavy grade ofcanvas, is secured at oneend to the upper cross bar 24 of the backsection 20 andial: its Opposite end to the cross bar 29 oftheirontsection 22, said web overlying the cross web {1,5, the latterdesirably being stretched tight- 1y between the sides of the seatsection 2!. A footrest42 is pivotally supported by and between th lowerendsof the side rails 23 of the front section 22 and is releasably heldin a position at substantially right angles to the plane of saidsection-by braces 44 that are detachably con nected at their upper endsto the side rails 28. p Constructed as abovedescribed, the adjustablestructure is capable of swinging with a sort of parallelruleactionsbetween a position in which the back, and front sections areapproximately svertical, as shown in Fig. 2, and one in which Saidsections closely approach a horizontal :position, the seatsection at alltirnesremaining substantially horizontal; and it is evident .from theconstruction described that a person occupying the ohairvis at all-timessupported from his head to. thelregiqn of his feet by the websofflexible .material and entirely out of contact with .any rigid part ofthe structure, it being explained that the topcross bar 24 of, the backsectionis well abovethehead'of a person of average height By extendingthe when-in a recliningposition; and when in such 'positiQn, theoccupant of the chair may disenage the braces-44 of the'footrestand-swing-the latter downwardly into the plane of the front-.frame.where it is held by engagement with the covered cross bar,29,soas to more comfortably support the feet,

-'A.slottedp1ate 46 is. pivotedat 47 to QIIGOf .4. projecting throughthe slot thereof is a threaded stud 48 on the adjacent side rail 23 ofthe back section. By means of a thumb nut applied to said stud, theplate may be locked to said rail so as to firmly hold the adjustablestructure in any desired position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a chair of the class, described, the combination of a supportingframe, and an adjustable structure sustained thereby comprising a backsection, a seat section and a front section, the

back and front sections being pivotally connected tonthe supportingframe, and the seat section being pivotally connected at its forward endto the front section and adjacent its rear end to the back section, theseat section projecting a conwith the back section, said seat sectioncomprising side rails and a rigid" cross member connecting them togetheradjacenttheir forward ends, said member being spaced a substantialdistance below the plane of theftop edges Iof the side rails, a crossweb of flexible material having its lateral edgessecured to thesiderails of the seat section along their topedges and extending from thefront to the rear thereof, said cross web being sufficiently taut toremain out of contact with the aforesaid cross member. under the weightof a person occupying the seat, andalongitudinal web, of flexiblematerial attached at one end to the top of the back section andoverlying the cross web and secured at its oppositeend to the lowerportion of the front section, the longitudinal web being supportedintermediate its ends solely by the cross web and being freely movablewith relation thereto.

KENNETH K. KISSELL.

REFERENCES CITED "UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 139,561 7Farrell June.31, 187-3 516,493 Knight Mar..l3, 1894 647,929 Allen Apr.24, 19.00 806,176 Oakley Q. Dec. 5, 1905 882,248 Heas Mar. 17, 19081,240,089 Pottinger Sept, 11, 1917 1,650,826 Fargo Nov. 29, 19271,860,867 Matthews May .31, 1932 2,020,207 Platter 11 Nov. 5, 19352,093,829 Clark Sept. 21, 1937 2,275,908 Kelly May 10, 1942

